, 1887-01-07
CROSS PURPOSES.

the kaatersville Glove. All the rayines
are Gloves" in the Catskills. Palenville
Is II scattered little village fun of board
ing houses and small hotels. The preten-
tious hotels ure all on the mountains tops
in the Catskills, while in the A~dirondncks
they are all in the valleys. But whether
u mountain hotel is itself high or low its
rates by the day or the week are always
on the breezy summit. The little noun
tain inn ai which my wife and | were the
only guests was situated by the sid Of the
turbulent Kuaterskill. Across the creek
the wooded mountain rose to II dizzy
height. while behind the house the rise
was 50 abrupt that II darkened all the
rem windows. From the front piazza
there was "A splendid view Of the woods,
climbing tier on tier, and above all u lit
tie strip OF blue sky. Against this bit OF
sky stood out in bold relief II large cross.
History tells us that John Sprat and
his wife were well matched because his
taste and hers differed In the matter OF
food, and 50 their united efforts had the
effect Of leaving no surplus on the platter,
and the consequence was that harmony
and economy reigncd in the Sprat house
hold. II. however. Mr. and Mrs. Sprai
were equally di-similnr in their ideas In
the matter OF travelling | fear That they
would not hive got along 80 well as they
did ut table II Mrs. Sprat was content
To sit In n comfortable rocking chair on
the hotel pinzza aud view the mountains
from that easy altitude, while Jnck
ycarned To tax an alpenstock and climb,
II is evident that both could not be salts
fled. II .Jnck Sprnt delighted In rushing
from place to place and seeing every
thing by turns and nothing long, while
Mrs. Sprat preferred to find out some ut
t~ractiye locality and stay there rather
than Fly To Others that they knew not
Of the chnnccs would be against com
plete harmony.
But this Is depression and has nothing
to do with the case. As we sat there
looking at the cross on the mountain top
| made the following unjustiflable remarlS
IL remark which led to the tragedy that
1t is my painful duty to record. 81 sup
pose there arc ladies' in this world who
wouldn't mind climbing to that cross, but
/ never met any Of them.
Mrs. Sharp rose with dignity from tho
comfortable rocking chair and said:
~ will he ready in ten minutes. In
that time you can nnd out which is the
best way to get to the cross.
Here followed my second unjustinablc
remark, which made inevitable the cntas
trophe that VAS to follow.
ooh, it's no use. We viii get up about
n quarter Of n mile and You will then SIT
down ON a fallen tree and say / can't 60
any further In the words Of the poet,
I've hin thar
To this il%l-nntured assertion the lady
did not think 1t worth while to reply.
went down to interview the proprietor
Yes, he said, there is u good path
To- the cross. Nou cant miss 1T
AA Won L.. ,~. "a lutftaYtg. 10 NarallaI
''You little know my genius for getting
on the wrong track.
We'll, You can't miss this one, for it's
all marked with red paint II you are in
doubt, look ont for the red paint on the
rocks Then You are all right.
no put the cross there
oh, II lot OF Young fellows who went
up there II While ngo There used to be
II hotel on the clir. \ California woman
spent $40. 900 ON 1t and lost every cent OF
it, The hotel went to ruin and was AT
last torn down To find the path go 10
the second house and enter through the
front yard
BY the time | had acquired this fun OF
incarnation my partner was ready and
We crossed the bridge and sought the
second house 1t looked like trespuss,
but We entered the front yard and found
the Path of the Red Mark. 1t led up and
across the main road and then into the
woods again. On every prominent rock
some philanthropist had painted II red
arrow, and with that yearning for lmmort
iality which seems to be latent in every
human heart, he had here ard there
painted his initials. At last the path
reached n rough mountain road that had
been long neglected. The freshets had
worn great chnsms along 1t, and as W,
assembled higher some parts OF 1t wert
washed AWAY The arrows still shovel
our way to be along his ever ascending
road. one arrow, however, we missed
II pointed mp the mountain while we went
along the road | felt proud Rfterwarc
to think that in spite of such plain direc
tons | had succeeded in keeping intacl
my record for always taking the wronl
track. The road we followed vas evi
denty the one constructed by the unfortu
nate California woman to lead TO her i'll
fated hotel 1t was much longer bu
much easier climbed than the path. |
was half past . when we heard the boon
OF Il quarry blast in the cliffs boy us
Ii appeared that the road also led 10
quarry. Two more turns brought III
under n great elf OF bald rock, and at tn,
top of it we heard the pounding OF tn,
quarrymen. | hoped that We would pas,
unnoticed, but there was no such luck II
store for us. l thought IL best TO he on
friendly footing, so shouted up:
is this the way TO the cross
Whats that was shouted down.
The cross The mountain topi Is THU
the way
''Oh, yes. Keep right on. Path a lit
tie further up
During this brief mutual shout quarry
| mnn uffar nfturrXInQn npnna1 mn fufn Aipll